At the joint seminar of Rotary Club, Awka Central and Rotaract Club, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, held on September 30, 2021 at Crescent Spring Hotel on peace. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) collaborated with the sister clubs to through their mandate of mobilization, sensitization and orientation bring the message of peace to the people on the conduct of Anambra 2021 election.
The State Director of the agency, Barrister Charles Nwoji used his opening speech to call on the eligible voters in the state to come out enmass on November 6, 2021 during the governorship election to exercise their franchise and eschew all forms of violence that would mar the election process.
He used the ocassion to remind Ndi- Anambra that election is all about political contest and not war and noted emphatically that Anambra State has not been known as a hot bed or spot of violence during elections all the years. So, he called on both the indigenous electorates and the non- indigenous electorates in the state to comport themselves in the best of manners they could muster as the election processes last in the state.
On the area of the technicalities of the election and security, he called on INEC and security agencies in the state to put all hands on deck to ensure that the election holds as stipulated and added that a number of people in the state have expressed misgivings over the lull on how the current political activities in the state is playing out.
“NOA partners with the Rotary Club with a view to ensure that the message of shunning political apathy and violence among Ndi- Anambra during the election is achieved.”
He pointed out that the club possesses the potentials required to deliver on the message of peace throughout the election processes in the state.
In the same vein, the President, Rotary Club of Awka Central, Rotarian Michael Onyekachi Iruka during his welcome address maintained that the club has been in the forefront of promoting peace all over the world by partnering with the international organizations.
He said that the objective of the seminar is to encourage the citizens to exercise their civic responsibilities by obtaining their voters’ cards and shunning violence during the election.
“Peace breeds prosperity, advancement and economic boom to any nation that is devoid of all forms of political turbulent and other obnoxious vices inimical to development.”
He stressed that the event was jointly organized by the parties involved in order to bringing in the youthful persons that would help them work in disseminating the message of peace through the education of people on election matters in the state.
Again, the President, Rotaract Club of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Rotarian Onwudiwe Glenn Chukwuemeka in his message, advised the electorates in the state to vote for competence, acountability and candidate of their choice at the poll.
He called on the youths to identify with the club or other organizations that have interest in the peace of the election.
During the lecture on the topic, Promoting Peace through Citizens Participation In Election, the guest speaker, Mrs.Lechukwu Ugomma frowned at the dirty attitude of some electorates who use their permanent voters cards for only bank transaction, but in contrast, reminded the people that they have a lot of responsibilities in the conduct of the November 6 election in the state.
The speaker, who is also a Rotarian and an election manager in the INEC, Anambra State, advised the people to allow their votes to count at the polls by shunning all the negative tendencies that could escalate into unnecessary tension during the election.
She encouraged them to eschew all forms of apathy towards the election and never allow themselves to be used as tugs for snatching of ballot boxes because they will be denied by their pay masters if caught.
The Peace Seminar themed, “The Roles of INEC and Civic Responsibilities of Citizens on Anambra Election” had in attendance, the District Governor of District 9142, Dr. Okechukwu Okonkwo, represented by the secretary of the district, Rotarian Christian Chinedu Agala, the first past Assistant Governor of the district, Dr Dennis Ekemezie, the Chairman incharge of Peace Building and Conflict Prevention of the Club, Rotarian, Timothy Nwabunwanne and the President, Students Union Government, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Rotarian, Ani Chukwuma among others.
